


In Remembrance: For the Fallen

by Ponddipper



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Remembrance Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 21:39:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12690714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ponddipper/pseuds/Ponddipper
Summary: He comes here every year.  Has done since he was little.





	In Remembrance: For the Fallen

** In Remembrance: For the fallen **

****

He comes here every year.  Has done since he was little.   

      It’s an unusually warm day today, the leaves still on the trees shining in the autumn sun.  He doesn’t have long, the moment almost here, the church tower clock in the distance counting down the minutes to the hour. 

      Taking a quick glance round to make sure no-one is paying him any mind he begins to climb, the now familiar shimmy up the almost smooth trunk as much muscle memory as conscious thought, each bump and hollow in the bark a landmark to him.  The years of gymnastic training still stand him in good stead, plus his more recent training making the ascent easy to achieve.  Eggsy huffs a small laugh as he imagines what people might say if they noticed him, a grown man in a bespoke suit clambering up the huge Hornbeam in the park.  Probably have the cops here in minutes.

      But soon he is nestled safe and secure in the crown of the tree, away from prying eyes, the dip where three giant limbs converge in a natural hollow like a nest, lined with golden leaves, large enough for him to snuggle into and feel protected from the world all around.  His Dad taught him to climb this tree, just before he went away, never coming back to see him master the trees branches without help.  It was his safe place here, the world just carrying on below, unaware of the boy, then man who hid high up among the leaves and twigs.  Up here it was just Eggsy and his memories of his Dad.

      In times when Dean had gotten really mad, his fists flying fast and hard at anyone within reach and Eggsy just couldn’t take anymore without exploding, he’d run away to this tree, scramble up into the cocoon of the smooth bark and just talk to his Dad, ask his advice, hope that he was proud of him. 

      And, every year without fail he’d buy a poppy to lay up here in the hollow.  Cos that’s what they taught him at school – that you laid poppies to remember the people that gave their lives in wars and such, protecting everyone else from the nutters in the world, like Hitler, Hussein and Valentine.  Eggsy had always known his Dad wasn’t regular army or anything like but he’d been killed trying to protect others and it meant the same in his book.  Wasn’t like they had any other place to remember him at either.

      Reaching into his inside pocket Eggsy pulled out two poppies; just the regular sort, nothing flash or fancy.  Before, despite his deepest wishes, he couldn’t afford anything better.  But now, knowing what he did, it seemed most fitting to remember them this way.   “ _A gentleman doesn’t draw attention to himself, Eggsy_.”  That’s what Harry had said. 

       Carefully he positioned each paper flower side by side into the little scar in the bark, a slight crack where the tree had outgrown itself, hung his head low and said a quiet prayer.  For both of them.

      His glasses beeped, alerting him to an incoming call.  Rubbing his damp eyes with the back of his hand Eggsy tapped the arm once to accept the call.

            ‘Eggsy?  Where are you?  I need you back the shop.  Now!’  Said Merlin.

            ‘What?  Why?’

            ‘You’re going to the States.  It’s Harry.  He’s alive.’ 

**Author's Note:**

> So this was an idea that came to me the other day. I wondered how Eggsy might have remembered his Dad and then thought how he might have known somehow that he was in the military of some kind and that he died saving others.   
> The school not far from me held a ceremony yesterday to remember and each classs had made a wreath from paper flowers so it all built up in my head.
> 
> Hope you liked this little fic. Do let me know what you think with a comment or kudos.  
> Thanks for reading.


End file.
